The Critical Role Qualitative Research Plays in Service to High Quality Mixed Methods Research

Mixed methods research studies have the potential to answer increasingly complex questions facing early childhood special education (ECSE) researchers. Despite the value that qualitative methods add to mixed methods research designs, most published mixed methods research in special education are quantitatively-dominant. In this article, we aim to describe the critical role of qualitative methods in mixed methods research. We begin by describing the field of special education’s history with qualitative and mixed methods research. Then, we illustrate the critical role of qualitative methods in mixed methods research. We conclude by addressing three tensions the field of ECSE needs to grapple with in order to improve mixed methods research.